ESHIA

The OKLNG project is being carried out to International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and World Bank/IFC Guidelines; Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessments (ESHIAs) play both a necessary and vitally important role in the project’s progression.

Early works on ESHIA (Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessments) were completed by an internationally recognised consulting firm and submitted to regulators March 2007; with the resettlement site ESHIA being carried out by a Nigerian consultant.

The OKLNG project includes onshore and offshore components and will be implemented over a number of phases. Each phase will have a number of activities, many of which will interact with the biophysical and social characteristics of the project area. The onshore project area is rural and poorly served by infrastructure and so requires access infrastructure and facilities.

Distinct project phases therefore include:

- Early Works including site preparation

- Construction

- Operations

- Resettlement of project affected communities

The project is being implemented in compliance with national and international, environmental laws, regulations and guidelines including the IFC Performance Standards and World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.

ESHIA activities carried out to date include a Preliminary Assessment of Impacts Report, followed by extensive baseline data gathering over the entire project’s area of influence (onshore and offshore).

OKLNG also completed, submitted and obtained regulatory approval for an ESHIA of the Early Access Infrastructure in 2008

Since then, the project has pursued some value improvement, which also resulted in a period of relative inactivity. OKLNG recognizes the importance of up to date data for robust and acceptable ESHIA. We have therefore commissioned a two-season Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) to update wet and dry season information of the entire project environment, onshore and offshore. The EBS will also cover social and health characteristics, while the Early Works ESHIA is being updated to reflect project changes resulting from the value improvement process and to include site preparation activities.